Pipe car



Aug. 4, 1964 B. J. BLACKMON 3,143,221

PIPE CAR Filed Aug. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B/LL Y J BLACK/WON INVENTOR.

Aug. 4, 1964 B. J. BLACKMON PIPE CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 INVENTOR.

B/LLY J 54A CZKMOA/ Q ga United States Patent 3,143,221 PlPE CAR Billy J. Blackmon, 2632 Kermit Highway, Odessa, Tex. Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,267 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-2.5)

This invention relates to well drilling, more particularly to a system for laying down the pipe from the derrick, and still more specifically to a car for this purpose.

This invention is an improvement for the device as disclosed by Maydew in US. Patent No. 2,852,147, issued September 16, 1958. Experience in operating the Maydew mechanism has shown that on laying down certain heavy type pipe or drill stem called drill collars, that the pipe tends to jump from the lower car. I have found that putting a cover over the open side of the V-shaped body on the lower car prevents the pipe from ever jumping from the lower car. However, it is necessary to remove this cover from the body of the car when the pipe is rolled sideways from the car, otherwise the cover impedes the rolling of the pipe from the car.

An object of this invention is to provide a car for a pipe lay-down mechanism that holds the pipe in the car when it is desired that the pipe be held in the car and releases the pipe when it is desired that the pipe be released.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, simple, versatile, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture and operate.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not necessarily to the same scale, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a car according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the car taken to gether with the derrick and track showing the environments wherein the car operates.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a car taken substantially on line 33 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is an axial sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 3.

As may be seen in the drawings according to this invention, car is to be used in conjunction with another car 11, both cars being mounted to run upon channel track 12. A portion of the channel track 12 is supported by legs 14 and a portion is supported by part of derrick 16. The cars are controlled by a windless mechanism 18. It will be understood that pipe 20 to be laid down is first placed in V-shaped body 22 of the car 10 and the pipe 20 is supported (at least temporarily) upon feed roller 24. When the pipe 20 comes off the feed roller 24 and the end of the pipe drops into the car 11, difiiculty has been experienced. Quite often, the end of the pipe 20 will jump from the car 10 and cause difiiculty. I have solved this problem by placing cover 26 partially over the V-shaped body 22.

It will be recognized that the mechanism with the exception of the cover 26 described prior to this time is known to the art through the Maydew disclosure identified above. In addition, it will be understood that the cars have a lower frame 28 to which is journaled wheels 38 which fit onto the track 12. The V-shaped body 22 is pivoted about pin 32 to the car frame 28 with two hubs 34 on the car frame and two corresponding hubs 36 attached to the V-shaped body 22. A latch in the form of bar 38 is mounted for movement parallel to the direction of the movement of the car 10.

The car 10 will be spoken of as moving in direction of arrow A as the forward movement which is the direction of movement when it is moving the pipe 20 from the derrick 16 to the rack area to be placed alongside additional pipe 21 which has already been removed from the derrick. Also the part of the car 10 which will be forward when it is moving in the direction of arrow A will be spoken of as the front of the car and the opposite direction will be referred to as the rear.

Also, pin 32 is parallel to the direction of the movement of the car 10 and therefore, the V-shaped body 22 pivots about an axis which is parallel to the direction of the movement of the car. Stop 40 is provided upon the track 12 so as to align a notch in the bar 38 with strut 42 on the body 22 so that the V-shaped body tilts to dump the pipe 20. Stanchion 44 is welded to the car frame 28 and prevents the V-shaped body 22 from rotating on the side to which it is attached. The stanchion 44 is attached to the opposite side from the bar 38.

It will be seen that the V-shaped body 22 is mounted directly over the pin 32. I have found in practice that there is enough vibration and rocking of the cars so that the pipe 20 dumps once the latch bar 38 is moved so that the strut 42 aligns with the notch.

Pipe stop 46 within the V-shaped body 22 limits the movement of the pipe 20 within the V-shaped body. As stated before, all that which has been described above (with the exception of cover 26) is substantially as that disclosed by Maydew in his Patent 2,852,147.

The cover 26 is a cylindrical band which extends over a narrow width of the total length of the V-shaped body 22. It is attached to plate 48, the plate is held by spring 50 (by linkage explained later) against pipe stop 46. Pitman 52 is attached to the plate 48. Cover assembly 53, including cover 26, plate 48 and pitman 52, is held in place on the V-shaped body 22 by tabs 54 as seen in the drawing. Inner tabs 56 provide for smooth movement of the cover assembly 53 along the V-shaped body 22.

Brace 58 is attached from one side to the other of the V-shaped body 22 at the forward end thereof. Stiff arm 60 extends forwardly from brace 58 at the center thereof. Lever 62 is pivoted by bolt 64 to the stiff arm 60. The pitman 52 is pivoted to the lever 62 by bolt 66. The spring 50 attaches to the lever 62 adjacent to bolt 66 and the other end of the spring 56 is attached to the brace 58. Therefore, it may be seen that the tension spring 58 will maintain the cover assembly 53 in its rearward position. The cover is moved to a forward position when projection 68 on the bar 38 moves rearward against the lower end of the lever 62. The bar 38 is moved rearward by the stop 40 on the track 12.

When the bar 38 contacts the stop 40 and moves rearwardly it causes two things to happen: one, projection 68 moves against the lever 62 moving the cover 26 forward so as to free pipe 20 within the V-shaped body 22. Also, the movement of the bar 38 aligns the notch therein with the strut 42 allowing the V-shaped body 22 to rotate in that direction. I.e. that the strut means for supporting the V-shaped body no longer supports the V-shaped body when the notch in bar 38 is aligned with the strut. It will be noted that the linkage mechanism for moving the cover assembly 53 is attached to the V-shaped body and rotates about the axis of pin 32. Therefore, at the point the projection 68 bears against the lever 62, there will be little if any translational movement of the lever 62 inasmuch as the projection 68 is approximately aligned with the axis of the pin 32.

Therefore, it may be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism whereby the cover 26 is provided to hold the pipe 20 within the V-shaped body 22 during travel of the V-shaped body, but will remove the cover 26 from over the pipe 20 at the time the V-shaped body is rotated to dump the pipe therefrom.

It will be apparent that the embodiment shown is only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in 3 construction, materials and arrangement Within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a car for laying down pipe from a derrick, said car including (a) Wheels on the car positioned to run on a track, (b) a V-shaped body pivoted to the car, (c) strut means for supporting the V-shaped body in an upright position, and (d) a latch mounted in the car for retaining the strut means in a supporting position; the improvement comprising in combination: (e) a cover partly over the open side of the V-shaped body (1) said cover mounted for movement along said V- shaped body, and g) means attached to the body for moving said cover, (h) said means for moving said cover responsive to the latch; so arranged and constructed that the cover is effective to hold pipe in the V-shaped body until the latch moves which in turn moves the cover to release the pipe in the V-shaped body and releases the strut permitting the V-shaped body to move from the upright position. 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for moving the cover includes (i) a stilf arm connected to the V-shaped body, (j) a lever pivoted to the stiff arm, (k) a pitman connected to the cover, (I) said pitman pivoted to the lever, and (m) a projection on the latch-contacting the lever to move same on movement of the latch. 3. In a car for laying down pipe from a derrick, said car including (a) wheels on the car positioned to run on a track,

(b) a V-shaped body pivoted to the car about an axis which is aligned with the direction of movement of the car,

(0) strut means attached to said V-shaped body for supporting the V-shaped body in an upright position, and

(d) a latch mounted on the car for retaining the strut means in an upright position,

(e) said latch in the form of a bar mounted for movement parallel to the movement of said car so that a stop on the track causes movement of the latch; the improvement comprising in combination:

(f) a cover partly over the open side of the V-shaped body,

(g) said cover mounted for sliding movement along said V-shaped body parallel to the'movement of said latch, and

(h) means attached to the body for moving said cover,

(i) said means for moving said cover responsive to movement of the latch; so arranged and constructed that the cover is effective to hold pipe in the V- shaped body until the latch moves which in turn moves the cover to release the pipe in the V-shaped body and releases the strut permitting the V-shaped body to move from the upright position.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for moving the cover includes (j) a stifi arm connected to the V-shaped body,

(k) .a lever pivoted to the stifi arm,

(I) a pitman connected to the cover,

(m) said pitman pivoted to the lever, and

. (n) a projection on the latch contacting the lever to move same on movement of the latch.

No references cited. 

1. IN A CAR FOR LAYING DOWN PIPE FROM A DERRICK, SAID CAR INCLUDING (A) WHEELS ON THE CAR POSITIONED TO RUN ON A TRACK, (B) A V-SHAPED BODY PIVOTED TO THE CAR, (C) STRUT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE V-SHAPED BODY IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, AND (D) A LATCH MOUNTED IN THE CAR FOR RETAINING THE STRUT MEANS IN A SUPPORTING POSITION; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (E) A COVER PARTLY OVER THE OPEN SIDE OF THE V-SHAPED BODY (F) SAID COVER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID VSHAPED BODY, AND (G) MEANS ATTACHED TO THE BODY FOR MOVING SAID COVER, (H) SAID MEANS FOR MOVING SAID COVER RESPONSIVE TO THE LATCH; SO ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED THAT THE COVER IS EFFECTIVE TO HOLD PIPE IN THE V-SHAPED BODY UNTIL THE LATCH MOVES WHICH IN TURN MOVES THE COVER TO RELEASE THE PIPE IN THE V-SHAPED BODY AND RELEASES THE STRUT PERMITTING THE V-SHAPED BODY TO MOVE FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION. 